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Culminating in dramatic street protests in 2019 that captured the world's attention, Hong Kong’s battle for freedom has often been framed as noble and inspiring but also quixotic and hopeless. Hong Kong native Ching Kwan Lee paints a more nuanced picture, showing it to be part of a decades-long struggle to decolonize—first from Britain and then from China. Based on years of first-hand research and written with verve and clarity, this is an indispensable analysis of what truly was the revolution of our times. -- Ian Johnson, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author of <i>Sparks: China’s Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future</i> Lee’s marvelous book shows how Hong Kongers developed their own unique identity, with a hunger for justice and democracy, while struggling against first British, then Chinese colonial authority. Yet Lee also shows the global dimensions of Hong Kong’s efforts, caught between Western and Chinese imperialism and the claims of capitalism versus communism. In showing how Hong Kong’s story illuminates all struggles for freedom, Lee demonstrates that Hong Kong’s resistance has not only a rich history but also a future. -- Jack A. Goldstone, author of <i>Revolutions: A Very Short Introduction</i> Bringing in the perspective of decolonization to make sense of the post-1997 Hong Kong political protests is inspiring and provocative. This groundbreaking book, written with both scholarly rigor and personal passion, is not only an innovative and timely contribution to postcolonial studies and Hong Kong studies but also essential reading for anyone who is concerned about the beleaguered city’s past and future. -- Law Wing Sang, author of <i>Collaborative Colonial Power: The Making of the Hong Kong Chinese</i>

Author Information

Ching Kwan Lee is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the author of three award-winning books on contemporary China: Gender and the South China Miracle, Against the Law, and The Specter of Global China.

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